Candidate Susan Riedel fights for victims' rights, takes a hard line against corruption

John Bear—Daily News
Susan Riedel, candidate for New Mexico Attorney General, addresses the Federated Republican Women of Otero County on Tuesday. She is opposed by James P. Baiamonte in the coming primary election.

Republican candidate for Attorney General Susan Riedel was the guest speaker at the Federated Republican Women of Otero County's monthly luncheon meeting Wednesday.

Riedel grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and obtained her law degree in Washington D.C. She came to New Mexico for an internship and fell in love with the state. Riedel has been a prosecutor in New Mexico for 25 years, first in Albuquerque and later in Las Cruces where she got to know Susana Martinez. Riedel was chief deputy district attorney in the Third Judicial District for 14 years. Later Susana Martinez appointed Riedel as a judge for the 3rd Judicial District in 2011. She lost her bid for election in 2012, but Martinez asked Reidel if she might consider running for attorney general. After the suggestion, Riedel said: "I start seeing the issues and seeing how little is being done."

In 1994, Riedel's husband was killed when her family was vacationing in Arizona and their car was hit by a drunk driver.

She has always been an advocate of victims' rights, even more so after the death of her husband.

She said that despite her familiarity with the law, she was so stunned that she barely understood what was said to her.

"Victims just don't have a clue," Riedel said. "I need to do more to help victims."

Riedel handled the "Baby Brianna" case, reputedly the worst case of child abuse in U.S. history. Brianna's mother Stephanie Lopez received 27 years following her conviction; Stephen, brother of Stephanie, received a sentence of 57 years while Andrew Walters, the child's father got 52 years for abuse, criminal sexual penetration and his participation in Brianna's death.

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Riedel was honored as Legal Impact Prosecutor for her handling of the Carly Martinez case, the New Mexico State University student who was murdered in 1998. Jesse Avalos, 27, was convicted and received a sentence of 67 years. Riedel has also received the 2008 Woman of the Year award from Heart magazine for her work in family court and as an advocate of victims' rights.

Riedel wants to expand the AGO's victims' right division. She also wants to open the lines of communication. She believes Gary King is not responsive to the people.

Riedel admitted that, if she were elected, it was unlikely that the general public would speak with her directly; but she felt they needed to know that the attorney general had heard what they had said.

"We have to have a good public information officer who was not just a mouthpiece for a politician," she said.

Riedel said she sees current aspirations within the AGO as a conflict detrimental to the state.

"The attorney general is using the office as a stepping stone to governor. The job (of attorney general) is just too important to be used as a stepping stone. This state needs an attorney general who is supportive of the elected officials. The attorney general is not supposed to do everything that the governor says, but she needs to rely on the office to give the best legal advice," Riedel said.

Riedel vows to fight corruption wherever she finds it. She is pro-Second Amendment rights and believes people have the right to carry guns. She has a conceal carry permit.

"People need to feel safe," Riedel said.

She says it is a big year for Republicans and she urges everyone to vote. Riedel also plans to stand up for the private citizen against the federal government.

"I can't remember when we decided as a people that the federal government knew better than we did on how to handle state government," she said.

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